Ryan nodded and said, “A little, in her memory. We are going to help her feel safe.”
Sophie took a breath and replied, “I want her to feel safe too. But I do not want anyone in my bed when I sleep.”
We respected her honesty.
That night Sophie slept in our room. Evelyn stayed in her own room. I sat beside Evelyn, brushing her hair. She looked at me and asked softly, “Is my little boy asleep?”
I answered gently, “Yes, he is resting.”
She smiled and said, “Good. I used to lie beside him when storms scared him.”
I realized she was no longer fully in the present. She was walking through memories as if they were real hallways.
In the following days we changed our home routine. We placed gentle night lights in the corridor. We installed soft alarms on exterior doors. We kept Evelyn’s bedroom door slightly open so we could hear if she moved at night. Sophie’s door was closed and protected. We created a calm schedule for Evelyn, with meals, conversations, and familiar music every evening.